Something In The Air
by derivereine
Summary: An unhealthy relationship, a love gone sour. A dance that has gone on for too long. An addiction. John Cena/OC Three-shot
1. Chapter 1

**Happy Birthday, D baby. I love you.**

**My thanks go to her for lending me her name for this three shot, but it is in honour of her birthday, so she really had no choice. Try not to get too confused, all will be revealed once I post up the next two parts.**

**Charlie xoxo**

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* * *

****Chapter 1- Something In The Air**

"John, look, I can't be the other woman anymore. You have to choose."

"You promised me you'd never ask me to make this choice, Dani…"

"Well I'm not asking. I'm demanding."

In that short exchange, John Cena had found himself alone. Unable to provide his mistress with an answer, she had collected her things and left. He now sat on his couch nursing a tumbler of bourbon. He hated the stuff, preferred beer, but this wasn't a celebratory drink, or even a party drink. It was intended to punch him with every sip, and punch him it did.

Whilst John was known the public as an upstanding fiancé, his peers knew different. His peers knew that John had been seeing a woman called Danielle for a little over two years, and that they lived together in Florida. He lived in Massachusetts with his fiancée, Liz, every other month.

Regardless of this fact, everybody knew John was in love with Danielle, and vice versa. The bourbon he was drinking had been a joke present from her best friend last Christmas, attached to it a note reading, "If you ever let DNJ go, drink this, then come and see me. It should help hide the pain you'll be receiving."

_Your coat and hat are gone  
__I really can't look at your little empty shelf  
A ragged teddy bear  
It feels like we never had a chance  
Don't look me in the eye_

Danielle pulled the blanket further over herself in the guest bed at the Calaway's; it smelled of jasmine and intended to soothe. It was at the Calaway wedding last June that everybody had seen the true relationship between herself and John, she was the maid of honour, he an usher. They'd danced all night, she'd caught the bouquet of purple calla lilies, jasmine and wildflowers, much to the delight of the beautiful bride.

"That wasn't an accident. Go and make your intentions known. You saw how it worked for me." The silky voice of her best friend had made Danielle smile and the glint of the rings catapulted her into a fantasy of her own wedding, with gardenia and wisteria…

The door to the room she was in creaked open, and much to Danielle's surprise, it was not her friend who sat on the edge of her bed, but her friend's husband.

"Mark?" Danielle's eyes adjusted to the amber light seeping in from the hallway, "Is everything okay?"

He smiled, "I came to ask you that; stop stealing my questions."

"Sorry," a small laugh escaped her lips, "I'm just remembering your wedding."

"So why are you crying?" Mark tilted his head to the right and surveyed the young woman, "Cena's lucky I'm not going to see him for a while…"

Danielle laughed through a small sob, "He's lucky that your wife isn't already on her way."

"I wouldn't presume I'm not on my way to the garage now, Dani." The statuesque blonde leant on the door frame with a half smile, "Do you want me to go over?"

"You can in the morning, just for my clothes." Danielle said gratefully, "Thanks for letting me stay guys."

_We lay in each others arms  
But the room is just an empty space  
I guess we lived it out  
Something in the air  
We smiled too fast then can't think of a thing to say_

John regretted putting the DVD from Cabo in, he regretted rolling over onto Danielle's side of the bed and he regretted letting her leave. He'd sworn that if the decision ever came, he'd choose Danielle over Liz and they'd live happily ever after. His friends loved Danielle and hated Liz, as did his parents. Their relationship had been a whirlwind; they'd met in California, spent days on the beach drinking rum and getting to know each other- or so they thought. When Dani had discovered the truth about Liz, she had simply agreed to be the other woman instead of losing him.

He'd had the best time of his life with her, and been miserable when he had to return to Liz, return to Mass and his old life. But things had recently taken a turn for the worse.

_Lived with the best times  
Left with the worst  
I've danced with you too long  
Nothing left to say_

The next morning, Danielle and her friend drove to John's, finding him passed out on the couch when they let themselves in.

"You go upstairs and get your things," the blonde said, "It's time for John and I to have a little chat.

John awoke with a start as she poured the remainder of his bourbon on his face, "Rise and shine, Princess."

"Cala, stop it." Danielle warned her friend, "John, where are the keys to my condo?"

He stretched and yawned, wiping his face with his right hand, "Kitchen."

John stared at the two women as they worked over his house, taking everything that Danielle had ever touched, "Since when have you been called Cala?"

"Since I married Mark. You might remember the wedding? Where you sat with me and told me you couldn't live without my _querida _here?" The blonde pointed to Danielle with a glare at John. Her blue eyes were icy, and he felt the anger resound from her.

"I remember. How long have you been married now? Nearly a year, right?"

"Yes. That's nearly a year that you've both wasted lying to yourselves. Now I am done with coming around here every month and getting D's things, then bringing them back once you've reconciled. You are either done or you are just wasting my time. Now sort yourselves out! You have an hour." Danielle felt her friend shove past her and stalk out of the door, heard her car purr into life.

"Danielle," John began, "What did she mean when she said every month?"

"I have no idea," she sat down next to John, before looking at him dead in the eyes, "One last time?"

_Let's take what we can  
I know you hold your head up high  
We've raced for the last time  
A place of no return  
And there's something in the air  
Something in my eye  
I've danced with you too long  
Something in the air  
Something in my eye_

"They have no idea, Mark. They don't know what they're doing to each other."

"Are you sure, baby?" Mark's voice soothed his wife, "Are you sure they've lost it?"

"I've been sure a long time, darlin'. They both looked bewildered when I said it."

Mark grabbed his car keys, "Lets go and get them away from each other."

_Abracadoo - I lose you  
We can't avoid the clash  
The big mistake  
Now we're gona pay and pay  
The sentence of our lives  
Can't believe I'm asking you to go_

Danielle stood on the porch, screaming at John who was inside, "I HATE YOU, I LOATHE YOU AND I CURSE THE DAY I MET YOU, JOHN YOU HAVE TOO MANY MIDDLE NAMES FOR ME TO SHOUT IN ANGER CENA!"

"Oh get out Danielle! Leave me the fuck alone!" John yelled back, throwing her shoes out of the second floor window, "And take the shit I paid for with you!"

"You just swore at me? You actually just swore at me?" Danielle sat down on the ground as John rushed out of the house. He held her close and whispered his apologies as his kissed her.

"I love you, Danielle. I just can't be with you anymore."

"I love you too. I just won't be here once she cheats again."

As she started to walk away, John called after her, "You're the best I've ever had."

_We used what we could  
To get the things we want  
But we lost each other on the way  
I guess you know I never wanted anyone more than you  
Lived all our best timesLeft with the worst  
I've danced with you too long  
Say what you will_

"You done?" Mark remarked dryly, "Come on."

Danielle nodded dumbly and threw the rest of her belongings in the back of Mark's Porsche Cayenne, "I'm done."

"Done wasting my time, or done fucking John?" The voice of Mark's wife cut through the air, "Because I hope that it's both."

"It is. What did you mean, though, when you said you did this every month?"

Her friend laughed, "Oh Danielle. You and John have this argument every second week in the month, and I always come and get you. The bed is always made, the quilt always smells of my wedding bouquet, and the same pairs of shoes always get thrown out of the window."

"Really?"

"Really babe. You never remember, though, either of you. He'll ring you in ten minutes and tell you that he chooses you. We'll turn around and you'll go back."

Danielle shook her head, "No. Not this time. Something has changed about this…set up."

Mark laughed, "Of course it has, Danielle. I'm driving."

"No, not just you…" Danielle struggled to think back, "Last night…when I stayed at your house…"

The married couple exchanged a glance, "I told you so, Mark."

"Dani, honey, you haven't stayed at our house since January. January was the last time this happened. My lady drove you back to John, and we haven't heard from either of you since."

"We just came to get you now because your neighbours rang us, saying you were arguing. I knew it was happening again. This is the longest you've stayed together. You both go into hiding, the place is always filthy, always reeks of alcohol. I'll throw you in the bath when we get home, you'll crawl into bed and wake up a solid day later with no recollection of an argument…it's the strangest thing I've ever seen. Time passes you two by so quickly when you're together, the world stops…" she tailed off, "This is an intervention, Danielle. I am never letting you go back."

"I let you go back to-"

"Enough! Enough." Mark growled, "Danielle, you are coming home with us. If we have to force you to live your life, then we will."

"Why do I feel like we've had this conversation before?" Danielle asked, confused.

Her friend let out a tired sigh, "Because we have. Except from the last time something of this nature happened, this amount of time and memory loss, it was you and John dragging me to your home."

"What am I doing to myself?"

"John is your drug, Danielle, that you need to get off of. Don't let you and John turn into me and Jeff."

"Charlie-"

The blonde smiled down at her, "Dani. It's out of thanks that I'm doing this for you. Being the other woman is easy at first, but when it gets to this stage…when they leave you feel like you're dying…it's time to get out or get married."

"I need to quit him. I need to get out of Florida, to get out of my Cena-induced coma."

"Yes you do," Charlie soothed, "But first? You need to talk to John properly."

_But there's something in the air  
Raced for the last time  
Well I know you hold your head up high  
There's nothing we have to say  
There's nothing in my eyes  
But there's something in the air_

"We're over, John. We have to be…this is so bad for us, this, this _addiction…"_

"This has been bad for a while, Danielle. I just can't think of us being over…"

Danielle straightened up excitedly, "We don't have to be!"

John smiled, "Oh, Dani."

Her smile faded, "Sorry. I need to move on, and you need to go home to Liz. This has gone on too long now. We either sort this out like the mature adults we are or we just agree to never see each other ever again."

"Move on, Danielle. Move on."

_Something in my eye  
I've danced with you too long  
There's something I have to say  
There's something in the air  
Something in my eye  
I've danced with you too long_


	2. Chapter 2 Borderline

**So, this was supposed to be to "Thinking of You", but then I had a moment of genius.**

**Do read on…**

**Charlie xoxo**

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**Chapter 2- Borderline**

"How long has she been unresponsive?"

"Three days. She'll eat and sleep, take care of her basic needs. Refuses to talk."

"Christ…are you sure we shouldn't get Cena down here?"

"Positive. It'll just make her worse, Stephanie."

"I'm just worried about my sister, Char."

Danielle lay in bed, eyes wide open, listening to their conversation. The words registered in her brain, but she didn't move. He didn't want her, he told her to move on. She'd force him to come back to her.

The door swung open, and Stephanie strode in, kneeling next to the bed, "Danielle, you need to come with me."

Nothing.

"Danielle?"

Nothing.

"I told you, Steph. She will not talk to you; I've tried whispering, screaming, bawling…nothing works."

"Danielle, please come with me. At least talk to me?"

Nothing.

Danielle shut her eyes, and when she opened them again, Charlie was showing somebody else into the bedroom. Danielle hastily sat up and smoothed her hair; Dave.

"Don't bother, you still look like shit." Charlie remarked dryly, "Dave has spoken to John, Dani. He'll tell you what John said if you speak."

Danielle cleared her throat, "Does he miss me?"

"Halle-fucking-lujah." Mark grumbled from the doorway, "Danielle, I love you, but Lord, what is wrong with you?"

Charlie glared at her husband, "Mark!"

"Sorry. I just want her to get better. We all do. Take your pills, Dani?"

Dave handed them to Danielle along with a glass of water, "For John?"

The three watched as she gulped them down, "Dave, answer my question."

"Yes he misses you. He wants to see you, Danielle." Dave spoke quietly, "Tomorrow."

Danielle jumped out of bed, "Charlie, pick out my clothes and do my hair and make up. I need to have a bath, moisturise, tan…"

Charlie groaned as soon as she heard the running water, "Thanks ever so much, Dave."

He looked surprised, "She talked and she's energised. What more do you want?"

"Part of her illness, Dave. It's called co morbidity; bipolar disorder occurs with her borderline personality disorder. I presume she hasn't said a word because of the dissociation behviour that sometimes occurs in suffers of BPD."

"Is it disturbing, having a psychoanalyst for a wife, Mark?" Dave asked as the two men walked out of the door.

The iPod speakers in the bathroom blared with sound, a happy Danielle singing along to the words.

Amused, Charlie shook her head and threw open the closet doors to find Danielle an outfit, "Of course it would be Madonna."

_Something in the way you love me wont let me be  
I don't want to be your prisoner so baby wont you set me free  
Stop playing with my heart  
Finish what you start  
When you make my love come down  
If you want me let me know  
Baby let it show  
Honey don't you fool around_

"Wow…you look…wow." John stuttered as Danielle walked up the pier to meet him.

With a tug on her Alice and Olivia jersey linen tank dress, Danielle smiled, "You think so?"

"I know so." John took her arm and they began to walk back, Danielle's wedges clunking on the pier with every step, "Dave tells me you've been in bad shape?"

Dani shrugged, "I just didn't talk."

"Babe…"

"Please don't babe me John. What do you want?"

He puffed out a breath of air as they stopped before walking onto the beach, "I need to explain."

"No you don't. You don't love me anymore; I get it." Danielle said sadly, slipping off her shoes and padding onto the sand. The sun caught her wavy hair as it lay on her back. John watched her as she walked away from him.

_Just try to understand,  
I've given all I can,  
Cause you got the best of me_

"Danielle, I do love you. Don't you remember? We came her on our first date and-"

"We swam in the ocean. I remember." she undid the belt around the dress, and unzipped it halfway, "Help me?"

John bit his lip as he pulled the zip down the rest of the way, and saw Danielle was wearing his favourite bikini underneath. "Zimmermann."

"You remember it? I know you liked it…" Danielle turned her head to look at him, those same waves of hair cascading over her shoulder as she freed them from their elastic.

"I love it. Are we going swimming?" John asked, and pulled his polo over his head to indicate that he was going swimming regardless.

Wordlessly, Danielle grabbed his hands and ran forwards into the ocean.

_Borderline feels like I'm going to lose my mind  
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline  
Borderline feels like I'm going to lose my mind  
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline  
Keep on pushing me baby  
Dont you know you drive me crazy  
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline_

"We haven't heard from either of them. I'm worried." Charlie confessed to Mark as they lay by their pool.

"Why do you worry about everything? They're mature adults!"

"Danielle has a mental illness!" Charlie said in a sing song tone, "The second he dumps her, she's going to flip her shit all over again!"

"Maybe she'll get over it? You did." Mark suggested, and then instantly regretted it, "I'm sorry."

"More than he is." Charlie snorted, "I was damaged goods when you met me, Mark. It's taken me four years to get over the mess that Jeff made of me."

Mark said nothing, he hated it when Jeff came up in conversation, hated knowing that his wife had loved Jeff before him. Laying next to him in her favourite overpriced new bikini and sunglasses, she didn't look like damaged goods at all.

"Take a picture." her voice was intended to be sharp, until she laughed, "Seriously. Pervert."

**Danielle: Char, everything is wonderful! We're driving home now; I'll come and get my things tomorrow. Love you, and thank you.**

"Lets go, Mark. She's high on life again."

_Something in your eyes is makin such a fool of me  
When you hold me in your arms you love me till I just cant see  
But then you let me down, when I look around, baby you just cant be found  
Stop driving me away, I just wanna stay,  
There's something I just got to say_

"Char thinks it's my illness, John. She thinks that I went really down due to my illness, but she's wrong. It was because of you not loving me anymore. I've given you all I have."

John considered his girlfriend's words for a moment, "I will always love you, Danielle. I will never leave you again. I'm so sorry for what I did."

_Just try to understand, I've given all I can,  
Cause you got the best of me_

Danielle walked to the door and opened it with a smile, "Charizard!"

"Dani New Jersey!" the blonde grinned and strode into the foyer, "Where's Prince Charming?"

"I hope you're talking about me," John joked, "What's up, Charlotte?"

"Okay, one, Mark has only called me Charlotte when we were taking our vows. You don't get to do it ever. Two, I need to borrow Dani."

"Another intervention?"

"No. A hospital appointment." Charlie said nonchalantly, "Shouldn't take too long."

_Borderline feels like I'm going to lose my mind  
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline_

"What?! Char, where are they taking me?" Danielle screamed, "Am I dreaming?"

Charlie swiped at her face roughly, "If this was a dream, Dani, you wouldn't be going there. I'm sorry."

"I still can't believe that she has to be sectioned…" Steph whispered as they walked out of the hospital, "Does John know?"

"I know," John nodded as he stood next to Mark in the parking lot, "I signed the papers."

"Your mess, your responsibility." Mark mused as they all got into the Porsche.

"I didn't know what I was doing to her. I didn't know I was driving her crazy."

"Really?!" Charlie's voice came out high and surprised, "You didn't realise she was turning into a fucking fruitcake, right in front of you?"

_Keep on pushing me baby  
Dont you know you drive me crazy  
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline_

"Feeling better, Dani New Jersey?" Danielle grabbed the last of her things as Charlie escorted her out of the hospital.

"Yeah…thank you babe, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for stepping in."

"No problem, hon. You kept me when things got too much; I couldn't let you make the same mistake."

Danielle laughed, "But I did."

"Bullshit you did. You didn't lose a child, Danielle." Charlie attempted to sound breezy, but failed. "Look, things happen for a reason, yeah? I lost Jeff and the baby to find Mark, and we've been married for two years this June."

"Two years?! How…how long have I been in the hospital?"

"Oh, Dani. Eight months." Charlie sighed, "Which is long enough for Cena to scuttle back to Massachusetts."

"He's gone?" Danielle asked, incredulous, "Why?"

Charlie closed the drivers side door of her Mercedes, "He said he had something to take care of."

_Look what your love has done to me  
Come on baby set me free  
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline  
You cause me so much pain, I think I'm going insane  
What does it take to make you see?  
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline_

Danielle clattered up the steps to her condo and picked up the bunch of gardenia nestled into the right hand corner of her porch. She plucked the card from the bouquet as she let herself into her home for the first time in eight months. A stack of envelopes, all handwritten and addressed to her, lay to her right, the phone flashing with new messages to her left.

She opened the tiny envelope and read the card inquisitively.

"_Nuestro querida Danielle. We're sorry for the last eight months. All our love, Charlie, Mark, John and Stephanie."_


End file.
